As technology continues to spread throughout the world, firms and corporations must decide whether to stick with their old ways or use the technology that is available to them. This is the current situation in the world of sports. Technology has allowed professional sports leagues to be able to more accurately make calls on the field. In the NFL, coaches can challenge up to 3 calls made by the referee throughout the course of the game that they feel are wrong. The referee then view instant replay on a camera, and can overturn the call or determine that the correct call was made, and allow the call on the field to stand. In the NBA, borderline shots that were possibly either a 2 or 3 pointer can be reviewed once there is a stoppage in the game. Just like in the NFL, the referee reviews the film by using instant replay technology to determine the correct call.
While the MLB has finally implemented the use of instant replay on homerun calls, they have refused to implement it in many other situations where it is needed. One of the great parts about baseball to traditionalists is the "human element" of umpires. However, the expanded use of instant replay needs to be addressed in the game, to include close calls at bases. Earlier this season, a call was missed by an umpire in a game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. The pitcher for the Tigers, Armando Galarraga, had a perfect game going with only one more out to achieve this perfect game, which would have been only the 21st perfect game in MLB history (there have been just under 200,000 games played since 1876). The umpire made a wrong call on an play at first base, calling the runner safe when instant replay obviously showed that the runner was out. The limitations the MLB has put on technology has cost Galarraga and baseball fans everywhere a chance at witnessing rare history. Why not use the technology that is available to us?
The stubbornness of the MLB to implement technology is a very bad business decision. While they are trying to keep the old tradition of the "human element" in the game alive, Major League Baseball must adapt to keep new fans engaged in the game. It is not wise for any business to turn the other way when technology can help make its processes run more efficiently and better. MLB is no different; I believe that they must adapt to incorporate more technology into the game, so it can be as good of a product as it possibly can be.
This is a very hot topic in baseball circles right now, as traditionalists are battling with the new-age generation on how much instant replay is needed in baseball. What do you think? Should more instant replay be implemented to make the game better and to produce more correct calls? Or should the MLB be set in their ways, and keep their replay system as it currently is?
I totally agree with you on MLB being stubborn. I understand their standpoint of keeping the human element, but it's also an element of humanity and current society to get things right and be efficient. I'm sure Galaragga would want to have that perfect game back.
ReplyDeleteEven if MLB instituted the three challenge per game rule like the NFL, it would work. That way, we could get controversial calls correct, but not worry about the ones that may be close but won't determine the game.
I think this is definitely a situation where a company, in this case MLB, is not fully acting towards its possible potential. They could be so more efficient and accurate if they only embrace IT a little more.